St George Illawarra’s dismal season has ended on a high as departing star Tyrell Sloan sealed a 24-22 defeat of Parramatta with a stunning two-point field goal.
With the scores locked at 22-all, superstar Eels captain Mitch Moses missed a field goal with little more than six minutes to play at a packed WIN Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
On the ensuing seven-tackle set, the mercurial Sloan, bound for England next year, stepped up from beyond the 40-metre line and nailed a beautiful strike that sealed victory.
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Sloan and Blake Lawrie, another long-term Dragon set for the exit door, had earlier bagged tries to keep Saints in the fight against their fancied visitors.
The win was also a fitting farewell for the home side’s beloved co-captain Damien Cook, who is leaving the NRL for the Super League next season as well.
But after a dismal year that brought the club’s first wooden spoon, the Dragons will perhaps be most excited about some key moments from their next wave of stars.
Five-eighth Lyhkan King-Togia put Sloan in for a try with a deft kick down the left edge, then helped gun second-rower Dylan Egan over with a short ball on the right.
The scores were locked at 22-all when Dan Atkinson stepped inside and fended Junior Paulo before throwing a one-handed offload for Connor Muhleisen to score Saints’ fourth try.
St George Illawarra also did well to fight through adversity, losing Hamish Stewart (concussion) and Val Holmes (ankle) to injury and then veteran prop Lawrie to the sin bin.
England-bound Lawrie flattened Dylan Walker as the departing Eel returned a kick-off late in the second half and sat down for his shoulder charge.
But his 10-minute spell mattered little as Saints won the game with 12 men and sent the Wollongong crowd into rapture.
The loss brings the curtain down on a season of injury carnage at the Eels.
Moses starred for the visitors, sending a kick up for Jordan Samrani to score the first of his two tries in the Eels’ opening set with the ball.
The halfback then helped stand-in fullback Josh Addo-Carr over from a scrum before putting Walker in with a crash play.
Samrani came off late following a head clash with teammate Kitione Kautoga, while Harrison Edwards also failed to finish the game with an apparent leg issue.
